Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Feb 4, 2011
A HARVEST OF SERVICE
Vehicles being thrown around like toys in the rushing waters and heartbreaking stories of lives lost have filled the news reports. The damage to bumper harvests was also devastating, probably in the billions of dollars, as the states of Queensland, NSW and Victoria in
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 28, 2011
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TWO MEN, TWO SOILS
Two of the men have impacted my life. Both of them died of cancer. For many years one of these men allowed his CIRCUMSTANCES to harden him towards those in his family and towards God.
I thought my dad was about as far away from God as he could be. He seemed to be represented
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 28, 2011
STAYING IN THE SHALLOW END
He stays at the shallow end of the pool for a long time, refusing invitations to come out into the deeper water, even with his dad. But after a long time considering it, my grandson Zion Brave Bennett thrusts himself into the pool, swimming underwater and then
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 14, 2011
"MAKE ME!"
They had behaved badly in class but they were equally disruptive in the detention room, swearing, acting tough and defying anything I said with a smart comment. Unacceptable behaviour. I have never really had a problem with anger, but the closest I came was in that classroom. Teaching
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Jan 13, 2011
MARGARET: THE HARD SOIL
Each week I give a devotion in each of the 8 dining areas of the Shalom Centre and Margaret (not her real name) is there, with ears which will not hear. Her heart is a fortress, cold, hard, defensive. The gates are huge, old and impenetrable, bolted with fear and pride that
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 25, 2010
AMAZING!
When dementia had taken its course, Bess (not her real name) was left with just a couple of words, but one word which she used to respond to almost any situation was the word "AMAZING!" After a lifetime of words, what a great word to have on your lips at the end of your life. Matthew
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 18, 2010
THE THRONE OF CHRISTMAS
In the very centre of Christmas cheer, amidst the silver bells, coloured baubles and lights, enormous sparkling chandeliers, banners and wreathes and beside a gigantic Christmas tree, there in the middle of everything stands a huge throne that dominates the centre of the
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 15, 2010
OUTLIVED HIS CHILDREN
His weather worn face looked like ancient parchment stretched over a wire mesh skeleton and his eyes, haunted with memories, looked straight through me into my soul. As I gave my devotion that day I could tell that he understood the anguish Abraham must have felt as God said,
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 10, 2010
SOME TIME LATER
Day after day the drudgery of books had began to depress me. Don't misunderstand. I love reading books. I was working in a warehouse at the time. Two of us would work in a large cubicle to pack books into boxes according to a computer order and convey them to be stacked onto
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 6, 2010
SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
There's plenty of evidence of blatant disregard for human life today. Terrorism and suicide bombers? Capital punishment? Human trafficking. Abortion?
So what is God thinking when He asks Abraham to take his only son, the son he loves, and to sacrifice him as a burnt
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Dec 4, 2010
GOD IS NOT A GENIE
She was ferocious and yet frail. When I told her that I was a Chaplain she took the opportunity to bombard me with accusations and questions. "What is the use of prayer if God is going to let those 29 miners die anyway? All those good people prayed around the clock for those
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Nov 13, 2010
THE HUNGER AND THE HUNT
"She was not beautiful but her eyes were magnificient. They were piercing and caught the light as jade shards and occasionally as she passed into shadows you could catch glimses of the hunger betrayed in the depths of their opalescent gaze.
As the inquisitive marvelled at
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Oct 30, 2010
Yesterday I was reading about a man called Han van Meegeren who was a Dutch artist and an extremely talented ART FORGER. He forged some of the world's most famous paintings so well that the best art critics and art experts of his time thought his paintings were GENUINE.
Painting one of the finest
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Oct 26, 2010
"Where's my..." "On the kitchen bench" "...keys". "What happened to my..." "It's in the washing machine. You wore it yesterday." My wife knows my thoughts before I ask. It's uncanny. "Do you know where my..." "On your desk" "...phone is". She is intimately acquainted with my habits, thoughts and
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Oct 16, 2010
A PARABLE FROM THE CHILEAN MINING DISASTER
Once upon a time there was a wise, good and powerful King. His kingdom was known as the kingdom of Hope and it was the richest kingdom in the world. He ruled his people with love and justice. The kingdom of Hope was known throughout the world and other
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Oct 9, 2010
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THE ATHEISTS AND THE PHARISEES
He was wide eyed but unable to speak properly. The nurses told me that he did not have long to live. Brian (not his real name) was experiencing spasms of pain and shortness of breath. He was groaning, and looked weak, drawn and afraid. I offered to pray for him. I
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Contributed by Ross Cochrane on Oct 6, 2010
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SUNDOWNING
As I walked into the room I had visited only that morning I noticed that some people, had an increased CONFUSION, RESTLESSNESS AND INSECURITY. I met the Asian woman with such beautiful eyes who HALLUCINATES and HEARS VOICES each afternoon. I had a quiet conversation with a woman who,
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